Shadow of the Stars
by Ion Lynx
Summary: Shadows, without a light, cannot be cast. Vivian soon learns this after the sticker festival as she races against the clock to help keep the Light of the sticker star alive to save herself and the prayers of all who wish upon it.


**Prologue**

_**Note: I had only edited the prologue because it was so short**_

_It was a sunny day, just as any other, early sunlight seeping through the curtains. But all cliches aside, I woke up, feeling as though something was wrong. I could sense it, a certain absence of... I don't know. I opened my eyes and looked about the well furnished room cautiously, then a quick self examination. I climbed out of the bed I slept in every night and walked over to the tall full-body mirror._

**_Bipedal, check.  
Eye condition normal.  
Blue fur, check.  
Paws, check.  
Trainer, che-_**

_That's when I realized I hadn't been greeted with a good-morning or anything like she usually does. I frantically check the rest of the room before dashing through the hallway, crashing into a wall in the process. My clumsy-footed luck, huh? I stumbled backwards looked at the wall which had I large Lucario shaped indent about a half-inch deep into the wall._

_"_DUNAMIS!?"_ I heard, just before **nearly** passing out._

"Tsc tsc, Dun. Every Sunday, you forget I get up early to make breakfast for us, and every morning, you think something's happened to me or something. You rush out of the room and crash into that wall, like twice a week. Do you ever learn?" _she laughed-SHE being asthenes_ _I let out a sigh of relief as I pulled up a chair and sat for breakfast. It was the average Sunday morning, as she said. Wake up, slam into the wall and **not** suffer severe brain damage due to the sheer surrealism of walls. And physics._

_A Normal Sunday morning. For us at least._

_After the little 'incident', I had decided it would be best to take a walk around for a while and earn some experience, something which needed to be done under her supervision, me being, well- not wild._

_"_Sorry Dun," She said in light-heartened tone. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to train with you today. I've got something very important to deal with today." She explained.

"Wh-whaaat?! I don't mean to disrespect your judgement, but what, might I ask, is so important for -a three-badge-trainer in a secluded part of the forest in the far reaches of the coldest region known to whatever- that we have to skip out on our training?" _This was me speaking. Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that, huh?_

"Dunamis. This is really important! Besides, I think you'll like it! You're coming too, after all!"

_Without a word, I simply nodded and went back to the gather some equipment._

(_s_)

"Hey Dun! Ya almost ready?" Asthenes yelled from the other room. "Yeah, hold on, just packing a few supplies we might need?" I responded.  
"What supplies could we possibly need to get to Sandgem?"  
"It's been some time since... Lucas, I think it was, has saved this region. I'm sure that you even know that the longer the time passes, the more powerful wild Pokemon become. Take Unova for example! over the course of just two years, the pokemon lurking in that tall grass became strong enough to put people traveling through route one in more than probable danger! we don't know what lies ahead!" I retorted.

"Oh, you are the biggest worry-wart I've seen! You sound like my mom sometimes, you know that? Anyway, If you don't finish soon, I'll leave without you,"  
"You Wouldn't!"  
"Pft, I'm just joking, lighten up a bit! Come on, after all these years, you never seamed to adapt a recognizable personality Anyway, let's go!" She said ecstatically, grabbing her backpack and rushing through the door.

We dashed our way, well more like she dashed and I trudged, through the woods of Eterna Forest, finding our way to Route 205, just North-East of Floaroma town, the place with possibly the largest collection and variety of flowers I had ever seen.  
However, one tiny draw came with the beauty and elegance.  
I raised my nose up in the air to identify the distinct scent in the air, and it certainly wasn't a pleasant one I might add.  
Just as I was about to comment, I had noticed that Asthenes stated, "Cherry blossoms... C'mon, Dun, Let's-" before hearing a loud growling noise. "Well," She started, "I can stand to get a little to eat beforehand," We both stated in unison, oddly enough.

(s)

Since we couldn't stand the smell outside, we decided to eat inside the shop. "Sho,*Gulp*" I said before swallowing the Oran berry in my mouth, "What was it that we were going to the professor's lab for? We can't possibly be coming from the little cottage in the woods all the way to sandgem town just to say 'hello,'" I said, stuffing another berry in my mouth.  
"Dun, I promised to the professor not to tell you. You have to see it for yourself, my blue and furry friend! And are you almost done? we've been sitting here for about a half an hour and I finished my lunch about, five, twelve, carry the three... A half hour ago!" Calculated Asthenes sarcastically. "Mmf, Yeah, jusht.. one more-*Gulp* Aah... Okay, I'm ready!" I said as I jumped from my chair.  
"Dun, Sometimes I wonder-" She started before I cut her of; I already know what she was about to say. "You know, my eating habits aren't the focus right now, but what is, is how far until Sandgem! Come on, let's make a dash for it!" I said as I started rushing for the gate. However, to my interest and unfortunate distraction, I nearly stepped on a note.

"To Prof. Rowan and for his eyes only... from Gardenia, huh? Hey Asthenes, take a look at this!"I shouted-  
"What is it!?" she shouted right next to me. I guess I hadn't expected her to keep up. "Ooh," she started. "Looks important. No doubt we should get it to him right away!"

(s)

We had made our pass through Jubilife and eventually to Sandgem, panting from exhaustion of running. After all, the way Asthenes made all of situation seem, it had a sense of urgency to it.  
Asthenes leaned up against a building and said, "Well, *pant* here we are... *pant* Sandgem town... whoo, Dun, can you take this to the professor's lab? I need to take a breather..." "Sure," I agreed, walking towards the professor's building in the north-most part of town. I had waled up to the door and was about to open it until I heard feverish banter in the background, discovering it was from inside.  
I put one ear to the door as I heard about two or so people, sounding so faint it was like buzzing.

Suddenly, the door flew open with Professor Rowan standing in the doorway, staring me down like a Honckcrow.  
"Dunamis," He started._ Wow, I don't even remember his voice sounding like this in person! _"It's good to see you again after so long, Dunamis!" _Well that tone changed quickly! I thought I was gonna have to sit through another one of his speeches again!_ "*ahem* Hi, Professor Rowan. It has been some time since we last met in person, hasn't it? Anyway, Professor, I believe you requested Asthenes bring you something?" "Quite right. Actually, where is she?

"Right here professor!" She said as she walked up behind me. "Ah, Asthenes! I presume you have the parcel Volkner had for me?" "Yes sir, it's right here," She said pulling a box with brown paper around it out of her backpack.  
"Oh, and we also have this letter from Gardenia, and it seems super urgent!"  
"Gardenia, you say? Well, let me see," he said before I handed him the letter.  
"Hmm... This truly is unsettling news... no wonder I hadn't heard from Sycamore." Stated Rowan.  
Asthenes' face turned to a worried expression as she said, "What? What's wrong, what happened to sycamore?"

Professor Rowan must have been really worried not to have even been listening to Asthenes. After all, she was pretty loud.

"Professor," I started. "Could you please explain what's happened to sycamore?" Calming down, prof. Rowan guided us inside the lab to explain.

Once we were settled into some chairs, he got to talking and said,

"Professor Sycamore. I hadn't opened the box yet, so I can't tell. I can't be sure all of what Gym Leader Gardenia says is true, after all... Never mind." He stared at the box intently, taking care to remove the transparent plastic tape. Once it was all said and done, he flipped the folds open to reveal several spheres of differing colors and about seven ten-gigabyte flash-drives. underneath all of this was a scrap of paper that reads '_I'm having Volkner relay this package to you in hopes that you can assist me in my research of Mega-Evolution. As you can see, I've included the drives with much, if not, all of the work I've documented in the process._

I, and i'm sure Asthenes as well, had no idea what was really going on...


End file.
